Plasma cutting uses a focused electric arc to heat a gas flow to the plasma state and the energy from the high temperature plasma flow locally melts the workpiece. For most cutting processes, a secondary gas flow (also known as a shield gas flow, or shield flow) is used to protect the torch and assist the cutting process, by aiding in maintaining a stable arc. As the torch is moved, relative to the workpiece, the workpiece is cut with the plasma, leaving behind a desired hole or contour. However, depending on the shape or the contour being cut, there can be disadvantages to using a plasma cutting system. For example, sometimes the plasma does not remain stable such that the surface of the cut portion of the workpiece can have defects, which include angled or uneven surfaces. While improvements have been made in cutting process to limit these defects, there still remains disadvantages to using plasma in certain cutting situations because defects still remain. This is particularly true when cutting small holes or contours.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional, traditional, and proposed approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.